TFP Wing AU- Predatory
by inkblotRaven
Summary: This universe is much the same as canon, with one exception. Some humans have wings. Jack Darby is a winged human. In this story, a routine energon scouting transforms into a life or death survival situation. A Wing AU rewrite of the episode "Predatory". I do not own TFP or any of the characters. Inspired by the fanart of a friend on DA, DerangedArtsyPerson. Some gore and language.
The sudden buzzing in his ear made Jack flinch so hard that he nearly pulled a muscle in his neck. He reeled back slightly, hands swatting at the offending insect as his wings shot out in an instinctual effort to keep his balance. Once righted, he spared a glance at his companion.

Arcee seemed not to have noticed his flailing, her optics glued to the energon scanner in her hand. The metallic clanking of her legs was the only sound in the forest aside from Jack's frustrated huffs and the persistent humming of the tiny terrorist that continued to circle him. Hiking out into the middle of god-knows-where in muggy summer weather was certainly not on Jack's top ten list of fun things to do, but he had jumped at the chance to go anyway. Arcee and him had gotten off to a rocky start. Their relationship had improved considerably since they had met outside of K.O. Burger, but he still felt there was more work to be done. He wanted to prove himself useful. Not just to Arcee, but to all the Autobots. Agitated, his wings shifted uncomfortably against his back as he glared up at the rich, green canopy above him.

If only he could fly here, then maybe he could scout ahead and make Arcee's job a little easier.

The location of the rogue signal had been vague at best, so it was impossible to ground bridge there directly. Thus, they were forced to seek it out manually. The trees were too dense to get a running start, let alone fly through with his long, clumsy heron wings, and the leaves were too thick to see through from above. So here he was, a winged human, struggling to keep up with the longer stride of his Cybertronian guardian. Maybe he should have invited Miko along. She had always been the more agile flier…Jack quickly shook his head, scoffing at the idea. No thanks. That girl was the human epitome of trouble. She probably would have gotten bored anyway.

Jack was very rudely interrupted from his musing when the blood-sucker from earlier decided to attack while his guard was down. "Ah! I really wish I'd packed some insect repellant." His assailant deftly evaded his flailing hands. "The mosquitoes out here on this 'routine recon' are the size of vampire bats.…And they probably drink just about as much blood", he grudgingly added under his breath.

The boy let out a yelp as the insect found purchase on his arm just long enough to deliver a sharp bite. However, it was quickly swept away in a miniature hurricane as his wings beat hard enough to lift stray leaves off the ground.

Arcee finally stopped and turned to look at him, amusement dancing in her optics.

"Quite the outdoorsman, aren't you Jack?"

"You wouldn't be making fun of my survival kit, would you?"

"…Maybe." The sly smirk on her faceplates suggested that she totally was.

Jack reached down to pat the black pouch (it _is not_ a fanny pack) snugly secured around his waist.

"I may not have stinger-proof metal skin, Arcee. But in a pinch, I can use my multi-function pocket knife and magnesium fire-starter to cook up some freeze dried mac n' cheese."

"Also", he added, "I have these." Jack made a show of extending and shaking out his wings, trying to hide it when he almost fell over from the movement. But he quickly sobered, a frown marring his features. "I'm sorry I can't be of any use. My wings are just too big."

Arcee shot him a sympathetic look. "Hey, humans get larger over time, right? You'll grow into them eventually."

Jack nearly threw his head back and groaned, but he settled for a sigh. Like he had never heard _that_ before. The day his lanky body caught up to his bird bits couldn't come soon enough, if it ever would. Maybe he was doomed to be an awkward mess of feathers for the rest of his life. Wouldn't Miko love that. At this rate, the fledgling Raf would fully mature before he did.

"But anyway", Arcee supplied as she lifted up her scanner, "You have your tools, and I have mine." Jack was about to offer a retort when the device began emitting a rapid, shrill beep. Arcee quickly glanced down at the screen and her brows furrowed.

"That's odd. Ratchet's satellite scans were accurate, but subterranean energon deposits don't cause this kind of surge."

She continued forward, Jack trailing along after her with his wings slightly spread to keep his balance on the slight incline of the hill. After a few moments, the trees grew unnaturally thin and the pair looked up to see that the entire strip of forest had been mowed to the ground. Long, jagged divots cut through the earth and the smell of smoke hung heavy in the air.

"Crash landing." Arcee's head swiveled side to side as she surveyed the site in search of a ship. "Stay behind me. Low and close. Keep your wings tucked in." Jack nodded hastily. He knew better than to refuse when she took that tone of voice. He folded his wings tight against his back and crouched, the hardness of his shoulders betraying his nervousness.

They stuck as close to the tree line as they could, circling around to the terminus of the crash where they assumed the mystery craft would be. Through the fog and smoke, they saw it. Big, dark, metal, and unmistakably Cybertronian. Half buried and dented as it was, Jack couldn't make out any identifying markings.

"Autobot or Decepticon?", The human asked wearily, silently praying that it was the former.

"Can't tell. Wait here." He hated how abrupt Arcee got when she entered warrior mode. Before he could stop her, she was already approaching the ship, hand transformed into a blaster and at the ready.

Jack gulped and glanced around, doing what he could to watch his guardian's back as she skirted the ship, her back pressed to the side of it. He lost sight of her when she entered through the front bay, which was ominously left ajar. Whoever had been inside had probably left. He wasn't so sure that was a good thing. As the minutes ticked on and Arcee did not reemerge, Jack's anxiety grew. His fingers turned white with the force of his death grip on the log he was crouched behind. He was about to run in after her when he caught a flash of blue from the entrance and released a long, shuddering breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

However, his relief quickly drained into concern as Arcee stumbled and was forced to steady herself with a hand on the exterior of the ship.

"A-Arcee!" Jack couldn't keep the worry out of his voice as he attempted to rush to her side. He couldn't get a proper running start for his massive wings to achieve lift on the uneven terrain, so he was forced to clumsily glide-hop his way to the other side of the smoky clearing. When he finally reached her, any questions got stuck in his throat when he saw the look on Arcee's face. Her wide, blue optics stared ahead as her entire form shook almost imperceptibly. He shifted his wings and stance uncomfortably as he reached out to place a hand on her leg. But before he could make contact, her optics snapped back into focus and she stared down at him. He could still see that terrified, haunted look behind the surprise. It scared him.

"Arcee. What's wrong?" Jack tried to sound calm, he really did, but he couldn't keep the tremble out.

Arcee closed her optics, an uncharacteristic resignation seeping into her voice.

"I know who this ship belongs to."

She didn't elaborate. Instead turning on her heel and reaching a hand up to the coms button adjacent to her audio receptor.

"Arcee to base. I need a ground bridge ASAP."

Jack's worry spiked even higher, if that were possible. Somehow, her tense dismissal of him was worse than the previous silence.

"W-wait! Why? Whose ship is this?"

His questions were once again ignored as Arcee raised her voice into the com.

"Base! Do you read?" She turned suddenly and stamped a foot into the ground. "Scrap! Com link is dead. The ship's got to be transmitting a high frequency scrambler pulse." That explained why they couldn't locate the exact coordinates in the first place.

"A-Arcee!" The human was reaching the end of his patience, he needed to know what was going on before he exploded. "You're kind of freaking me out here."

That was a fucking understatement.

"Wait here", Arcee replied, like she was talking to him but he wasn't really there.

Jack felt like he was about to scream. Once again, his guardian took off ahead of him. No communications. No backup. What the hell was Arcee thinking? They needed to get out of range of the pulse and call for help, not go chasing after someone who, based on Arcee's reaction, was obviously not friendly. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his heartrate. His companion wasn't thinking clearly. So he would have to be the voice of reason, and he couldn't do that from here. But what could he really do? If they got in a firefight, he would just get in the way. He let out an involuntary whine and bounced on the balls of his feet in an attempt to release his nervous energy. He couldn't see his wings but he could feel that they were ruffled and tense.

No. He had seen danger before. Almost died. He couldn't crumble now. He had a responsibility to help his partner, his _friend_ , in any way he could. One last look around the eerie clearing cemented his decision. Yeah. Hell no. He wasn't staying here. With a resolute flutter of his wings, he sprinted in the direction his partner had gone, back into the forest.

Not for the first time that day, Jack cursed his massive, bumbling appendages and wished he were in a proper flight environment. Too many trees. No high places. Barely any wind. This was a winged person's worst nightmare. He had never been able to achieve a standing liftoff before, and he wouldn't be able to until his body filled out more and he gained the necessary strength. Pushing his current frustrations to the back of his mind, Jack concentrated on locating his partner. Luckily, a multi-hundred pound living machine leaves behind some fairly noticeable footprints, so he followed those. However, surrounding the recognizable prints of Arcee were other tracks. They were deep, close-knit gouges that looked like someone had repeatedly stabbed the ground with a spear. So was Arcee tracking multiple targets? He sure hoped not. He needed to find her before she found them…or vice versa.

Jack got his wish a few minutes later when he spied a familiar blue figure crouched near a set of puncture prints. He approached quietly, unsure if Arcee had seen something in the distance that he couldn't. But when he reached her side, he quickly dismissed this theory. She stared blankly ahead, her optics held that same glazed, horrified expression from the crash site. Jack lifted his arm and softly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Arcee?"

The alien jumped at his voice, her optics regaining clarity, and she turned her head to look at him. She must have been reliving something terrible.

He didn't receive an answer. Instead, Arcee wordlessly transformed into her vehicular mode and turned her engine.

"Climb on."

Jack hesitated a moment, before climbing into her seat and putting on his helmet. He reached behind him for his wing harness, but as his fingertips brushed the leather he was suddenly lurched forward as Arcee sped off at full throttle.

"WOAH! WOAH! WOAH! Arcee! Wait! My wings!"

Arcee didn't slow or even acknowledge his plight, she just drove on. Jack did his best to keep his wings folded so they didn't flap open against the air current. He was briefly reminded of the first time they met, when he escaped the Decepticons with what he thought was a talking motorcycle. That was not an experience he had wanted to repeat. With every bump and leap Jack felt his wings cramp a little more, and he willed the ride to be over. He risked a glance up from where his eyes had been screwed shut against the narrow dashboard. This proved to be a mistake when he felt his stomach drop out from beneath him, and he looked down to see Arcee had leapt over a ravine between the trees. He felt his wings catch the air on their descent and panicked. Jack struggled to keep a hold on the handle bars as his fragile body threatened to blow away. Before Arcee hit the other side, Jack had the sense to flap his wings once to slow himself just enough so he wouldn't crush his sternum against her metal surface. As soon as he found his balance, Jack hopped off and threw down his helmet.

"What the hell was that?! Are you trying to give me winglash? I could have broken something!"

A broken wing was one of the most painful things a human being could experience. Akin to snapping a femur. He thought Arcee would have known this.

For the millionth time that day, Jack was ignored.

"Arcee to base…Scrap!"

The bird boy was done. Enough was enough.

"Look, I've seen danger before. What's the -"

"Wait here. I mean it this time."

Jack gave an indignant scoff. Unbelievable. The first two times weren't serious?

"First you shut me out, nearly get my wings broken, and now you're leaving me alone? For the _third_ time today?" The smallest hint of guilt passed through Arcee's optics before they turned to stone again. "I thought I was your partner!"

"No, Jack. You're a kid! You're only here because this was supposed to be no risk. You can't even fly properly in this forest." Jack flinched at that.

Arcee leaned in close, her glowing optics looming over him. "Got it?"

She didn't wait for an answer. Transforming into her vehicle mode, she jumped over the ravine and drove back toward where they had come.

Tears prickled in his eyes but he refused to let them fall. He had never been so angry. Or so scared. But his decision still stood. He would not let her go off alone. He walked forward and looked down into the ravine. It was at least thirty feet deep. But he was a flier, and Arcee had underestimated him. He walked along the edge, looking for a spot where he could run and spread his wings for an unimpeded take-off. Amazed by his luck, he found a sizable gap in the trees just wide enough for him to fully extend his wings.

Jack knew flying was a necessity at this point. The sun was sinking fast, and soon it would be impossible to tell tire tread from forest floor. He would have to do his best to locate her from the air. Standing as far back as he could with his wings spread, Jack took several deep breaths.

All at once, he felt the sky in his heart and ran as hard as he could. At the edge of the ravine, he put all his strength into his legs and a single, powerful thrust of his wings.

With a thunderous _whoosh_ he was airborne. He angled upwards as hard as he could, nearly parallel to the opposite tree line. Pine needles scraped at his arms and chest for a terrifying second before all he could feel was clear air and endless sky filled his sight.

Jack let out an excited whoop, his heart feeling as though it could soar on its own.

"I wish Miko could have seen that. Who's clumsy now?"

The last pink and orange rays of the sun were slipping beneath the horizon. He needed to find Arcee, fast. The winged boy glided down as close as he could to the tree line and kept his eyes and ears peeled. God, it felt good to fly. A mere few hours of being stuck on the ground had affected him immeasurably. Each time he took to the air, it felt like he was flying for the first time. He didn't know how regular humans could stand being permanently grounded. It was crippling for winged people. Those who forever lost their flight often never truly recovered.

The loud, screeching sound of metal on metal rising from the trees caught Jack's attention. Soon after, he could make out blaster fire. He had been caught in the middle of enough Cybertronian battles to know that sound inside and out. Adjusting his course, he sped the beating of his wings in the direction he thought the noises had come from. Suddenly, the forest fell away and below him was a clearing between a small cliff face and a steep slope.

At the bottom were two figures. One he instantly recognized as Arcee, the other he couldn't quite make out, but it was definitely another Cybertronian. Arcee clearly had the upper hand, her blasters pointed directly in the other's face. But before he could react, the stranger caught sight of him in the sky, staring directly at him. Arcee followed the gaze. Her optics widened as they landed on him and he thought he could see her mouth his name before the spider (oh God, it was a giant metal spider), took advantage of the distraction and pushed Arcee away with one of her spear-like legs. Before she could recover, the spider-bot shot webbing out of her hands, pinning the Autobot to the cliff face.

"Arcee!"

Jack didn't think about what he was doing. His partner was in danger. He tucked his wings into a dive, gaining speed before pulling up and extending them. Briefly, he glided above the ground before landing heavily by Arcee's side.

A pleased hiss escaped the spider before Arcee freed one of her blasters, hitting the bug straight in the chest and knocking her into the slope side, unconscious.

The two-wheeler then turned her attention to her charge.

"I told you to wait for me!"

Jack met her angry gaze with one of his own, chest still heaving from his flight.

"Yeah? Well partners don't ditch partners", he said between tugs at the webbing.

"Get this through your head. You are not my partner. You are a liability!" The venom in her words sounded forced.

The human halted his efforts to look up at her.

"I don't believe you. I saw your face at the crash site and in the woods. You're afraid, Arcee, and you're never afraid." That stupid tremble again. "So I'll be damned if I'm going to leave you alone."

Her optics went distant for a moment before she looked back at him.

"You're right, Jack. I am afraid." Her voice wavered. "Of losing you!".

That gave him pause. He stared up at her in confusion before a cool, sultry voice slithered between them.

"You sure have trouble hanging on to your partners, don't you?" The spider had regained consciousness and was now sauntering toward them in her bipedal form with all the confidence of a cat cornering two mice.

"We both know what happened to Tailgate…But I recently picked up some Decepticon radio chatter regarding the passing of Cliffjumper." Arcee's breath hitched at the name.

Voice dripping with mockery, she continued. "At some point you really have to ask yourself, Arcee. Is it them or is it me?"

The spider turned her attention to the human at the Autobot's side.

"Well, well. Aren't you a pretty one. Jack, was it? I am Airachnid. Oh, yes. You'll do quite nicely. I already have a spot reserved just for you." She smiled, exposing sharp, fanged teeth. Jack felt a chill roll up his spine and he froze on the spot. _What?_

He jumped at Arcee's voice.

"Do you get it now, Jack? She's not interested in me. She hunts indigenous species, and she's on Earth." Arcee's optics burned into him, begging him to understand. "That means humans. You!" His heart stopped in his chest. "Fly!"

Jackson Darby had never felt such fear in his life. It swallowed him whole from the inside and threatened to break him into pieces. In the split second he turned to look at Airachnid, her fangs glinting in the fading light, only a single word came to mind.

 _Predator._

Something ancient and primal swelled in him and his only thoughts were a mantra of _fly fly fly get away get away get away_. His wings grew a mind of their own as they arched to their full length, and in a single beat, he was in the air. He faintly registered a sharp intake of breath behind him before his entire brain was dedicated to getting as far away from that killer as possible. Two or three gusts of air passed beneath his wings before he was knocked off course, the force of the blow spinning him sideways in the air. He tried to flap his wings, to regain his bearings, but he couldn't move them. Jack felt the wind rush past him and saw the ground surging up to meet him. He hit the dirt hard, an audible pop registering in his ears before all became still. He lied there a moment, the adrenaline beginning to fade, and then the pain hit him.

Jack cried out and an agonized moan spilled from his throat. The white fire radiating from his shoulder was unlike anything he had felt before. It felt like his right wing had been ripped from his back. He couldn't even move as wave after wave clawed through him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was dimly aware of someone screaming his name, but he couldn't hear them over his own pain.

After what felt like eternity, the roar of sensation dulled. His whole body ached from the fall, each breath pulling painfully at his ribs. An insistent throbbing assaulted his skull as tears streamed down his face and his breath stuttered in his lungs.

He heard two voices, one familiar and one strange, arguing with each other.

When the world swam back into focus, he could make out what they were saying.

"Jack! Jack, please! Listen to me! I know it hurts, but please! You have to run!" _Arcee._

The other voice made itself known, and his blood turned to ice.

"Yes, Jack! Run! Give me a good hunt! I'm hoping you'll be more fun than Tailgate was."

He turned his head to see Arcee, still pinned to the cliff, staring at him with the widest, most panicked eyes he had ever seen. She looked like she was in as much pain as he was.

Above her, clinging to the cliff, was Airachnid. Her smile was wider than ever before, a sick hunger in her compound optics that made Jack's stomach turn.

With a whimper and great effort, Jack hauled himself to his feet. Fresh, hot pain lanced from his wing down his spine. He looked over his shoulder and nearly passed out.

Airachnid had managed a direct hit with her webbing. The viscous, stringy substance clung to his gunmetal feathers, fusing the two wrists of his wings together. With every movement, he could feel the stickiness pulling feathers from his flesh. His very likely dislocated appendage was caged at an awkward angle, and he couldn't find a position to keep the pressure off it. There wasn't much blood and, considering how he was still conscious, it likely wasn't broken.

That was about the only good news he had going for him. When turned his head back around, Arcee renewed her struggles against the webs, and Airachnid gazed back at him expectantly.

Finally, Arcee's plea pinged in his forebrain and he whipped back up the slope toward the forest. Fresh adrenaline sang in his veins as his wings fishtailed uselessly behind him. His bruised legs picked up speed when the anguished cry of his guardian echoed behind him.

"Jack!"

Roots, branches, and thorns grabbed at his legs and wings as he ran. All he could hear was his own pounding heart and high pitched gasps. He could feel her teeth at his neck. Hear the hisses and laughter from the trees. See her willowy shape in the dark. He was prey, and he had to keep running. Warm, thick wetness trailed down his back, the sticky mess in his wings pulling more feathers loose with every movement. His left wing trembled with effort of supporting its injured twin, pain shooting through his limbs every time the joint was forced to hold its own weight. Human wings were much more vascularized than a normal bird, the larger muscles and feathers requiring far more nutrients and oxygen. He could feel the result soaking into his shirt.

Jack stumbled in the dark, his darting hands finding purchase on a fallen log. Exhausted, he hauled himself over it and collapsed to his knees on the other side. His injured wing throbbed a steady staccato through his body and he shook so violently he could hardly see straight. A lecture his mother had given on shock popped into his brain before being pushed away.

Over the ghostly silence of the forest, Jack a heard the soft, metallic clinking of spear-like legs. He gasped and quickly flattened himself against the side of the log, hands flying to his mouth to smother his ragged breaths. The screaming protest of his wing went unheeded as almost inaudible footsteps drew closer.

Jack stifled a whimper as the dark tips of metallic fingers clasped the top of the log. A low hiss slid over his skin and his heart pumped frantically in his chest.

Airachnid stayed there a moment before silently lifting herself up and over his hiding place, the end of her insectoid abdomen just barely grazing the tip of his nose. Her inky form slowly melted into the shadows and disappeared. After a moment, all the air in Jack's lungs seemed to rush out at once. He squeezed his eyes shut and breathed deeply through his nose. He could do this. Maybe he could turn around and try to backtrack his way to Arcee.

When he opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of two sharp legs gently lowering themselves to the dirt. A pair of violet optics flooded his vision, Airachnid's metal fangs flashing in his face as she ate him with her stare.

"Hello, pretty bird."

Jack shrieked, quickly scuttling backwards and crowding himself against the log. He rolled to his feet, dodging Airachnid's half-hearted attempts to grab him before heaving his broken body back over the log and hitting the ground running.

A sickeningly familiar swishing sound reached his ears. On instinct, Jack strafed to the right and saw as a nearby tree was splattered in sticky, white webbing. He sprinted blindly through the trees, trying and failing not lose himself in his terror. Suddenly, he skidded to a stop, his arms flailing and wings stretching painfully as he struggled not to fall into the very same ravine he had soared over a few hours ago. He almost sobbed in despair and turned to look over his shoulder. Darkness stared back at him, but sounds of hissing and clinking taunted him from the shadows.

Jack steeled himself. He couldn't let himself be caught here. Slowly, carefully, he began to descend the wall of the pit, struggling to find footholds in the near pitch darkness. His foot slipped on loose sediment and he yelped as he slid the last couple of feet to the bottom. Picking himself up, he ascended the other side. As soon as he was over, he was running again, shoulders tingling as a cold gaze bore into his back.

When he was confident he had put some distance between them, Jack quickly ducked behind a large tree. He had to think, goddammit!

Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out his pocket knife. "Oh, god. Who am I kidding?"

He spared a glance back towards the ravine. Wait…If that was there, then he couldn't be far from the crash site. Maybe he could go back and find something to use to fight back. Better yet, maybe the other Autobots had noticed their long absence and come looking for them. It was worth a shot.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he quickly took off sprinting again. Airachnid's voice teased him from somewhere behind.

"You're making this too easy, Jack!" She paused, thinking. "I never imagined human blood to be such a lovely shade of red." His stomach dropped and his wing throbbed again. He was leaving a fucking trail. "Come on, bird boy. You know I don't enjoy being bored."

Jack wheezed and ran as fast as he could, his injuries and exhaustion beginning to take their toll. Finally, he reached the clearing of the crash. With the oppressive canopy gone, the moonlight shone through and made it much easier to see. He hastily made his way down to the ship, grunting every time his wing was jostled. Darting around to the front of the ship, he hid behind one of the docking pillars just outside the bay door, hoping the angle hid him from the tree line.

The boy stared into the gaping maw of the ship. Should he go inside? Maybe he could find a weapon or send out a distress signal. Maybe—

 _No. Nonononono._

Something in him surged to life. _"Don't go in there"_ , it whispered. _"Too small too small."_ Logically, he knew it didn't matter that there was no room to fly in there, but every cell in his body was begging him not to enter. So then what other options were there?

Shifting, his wings left a red smear on the metal and an idea struck him. Angling his back towards the entrance, he flicked his good wing as hard as he could and bit down a scream. A few red droplets splattered onto the ramp of the massive doorway.

That dreaded metallic clicking returned from behind him, and he hastily placed himself back behind the pillar. Her presence was suffocating.

"Now, where did you scamper off to?" The former Deception's voice was light and teasing, like she was looking for a lost puppy. Jack's heart seized as he thought maybe he was meant to hear it. Some relief sank into him when he heard her stalk around to the side of the ship.

As quietly as he could, Jack snuck around to the opposite wall, praying that Airachnid would pick up on his false trail rather than cut him off on the other side. He discovered his ploy had worked when the spider-bot's voice echoed from the bay. "If you wanted a tour, Jack. All you had to do was ask!"

 _Go ahead, you dumb bitch._

"Did you see the empty space? It's where you'll soon hang your head!" After a moment, she added, "Come to think of it, there's a blank wall above my berth where those big wings would sit quite prettily."

Jack shuddered and picked up his pace. He needed to get the hell out of here. As he approached the rear thrusters of the ship, his foot stepped in something with a wet squelch. He looked down to see a large blue puddle of liquid.

"Energon", he whispered.

It fell in steady drops from a badly damaged thruster, the lifeblood and power source of all Cybertronian life soaking into the Earth. Another idea came to him, and he smirked. It was time to end this, once and for all.

With shaking hands, he pulled his flint out of the pouch and grabbed a dry stick from the ground. He soaked it in a small amount of energon before striking the flint, flinching at the loud scratching noise it made.

One, two, three strikes, and the wood finally caught fire. He breathed life into the flame before nervously glancing upwards when the sound of heavy metallic footsteps reached him. The human drew his arm back as far as he could with his dislocated wing, and threw the flaming stick directly into the opening of the damaged thruster. Just as Airachnid appeared over the roof of the ship, Jack started sprinting as hard as he could manage in the other direction.

A furious voice called after him. "Jack!"

The sound reached him first, a thunderous boom that left his ears ringing, and then shockwave hit him. It sent him flying forward, head over heels, directly into the side of a small slope. He narrowly missed his injured wing, instead landing on his upper back as momentum carried the rest of his body harmlessly forwards.

Jack was sure he blacked out for a few seconds. When he came to, everything hurt all over again. The injuries he had been fighting for hours slammed into him with full force and left him gasping for breath. He wanted to just lie there and sleep, but he knew he couldn't. After stumbling twice, he finally managed to get to his feet. Arcee. Arcee was waiting for him. Limping forward a few steps, he was confused when there was a whistle in the air and he could no longer move his foot. He looked down to see his ankle encaged in sticky, white webbing.

Heart sinking into his stomach, he twisted his head wildly before his eyes landed on the smoldering form of Airachnid. She sat perched precariously in a tree, stray flame from her metallic skin catching the wood on fire. Her hand shot forward, sending another glob of webbing straight into the human's torso, pinning his body to the tree behind him. Jack cried out as his swollen wing joint pressed painfully into the bark.

With a heavy thud, she dropped to the ground. She hunched over on her two humanoid legs and stalked towards him.

"That's right. You are mine. MINE!" Those damn fangs curled into a smile and her optics were wide and crazy. She was going to kill him.

Jack couldn't reply. He was hyperventilating. His rapid breaths leaving his body in the form of terrified whimpers. Tears streamed from his eyes unabashedly and cold fear squeezed his heart.

When Airachnid reached him, she lifted a giant hand and ran her razor claws almost reverently across his cheek. Jack helplessly turned his head to the side, trying to escape her touch as broken sobs tumbled from his throat.

Before anything could happen the angry roar of an engine exploded though the air. A blue motorcycle shot out from over a hill, and Jack couldn't believe his eyes.

Arcee transformed mid jump, aiming a well-placed punch directly into Airachnid's faceplates, knocking her away from Jack. With a snarl, Arcee assumed a boxing stance and continued her relentless assault. She beat the spider into submission, each blow followed by the heated clack of metal on metal. With a final heave kick, Arcee knocked her nemesis back hard enough to send her flying. The spider-bot fell tree after tree as she continued to fly backwards, skidding to a stop in the dirt when her momentum finally ran out. Jack had never felt so proud of his partner.

The Autobot quickly turned toward to her charge.

"Jack? By the Allspark. Are you okay?"

Jack wheezed out a laugh and tried not to shout in pain as Arcee tore the webbing off his front.

"Yeah. Of course." Hating how weak he sounded, he shakily patted the pouch at his side. "Survival kit."

She graced him with a small, hesitant smile before the sound of a shrill whir caught their attention. Arcee quickly ran to where Airachnid had fallen, enraged to find that the torturer was using her insect legs to tunnel away beneath the ground.

"Airachnid!", she shouted angrily into the deep hole the spider had left behind. "So much for closure." She sighed and turned back to attend to her human.

She froze when she saw him, optics going wide in shock. Jack gulped and looked down. He could only imagine how bad he looked. Covered in dirt, blood, and scratches. Pale and shaking with his mangled wings hanging limp behind him.

"Jack…". Her broken voice made him look back up. "I am so, so sorry. It's my fault you had to face these demons today. I should have protected you."

He kept his voice soft and put on the sincerest smile he could manage.

"Hey, hey. It's all right. What are partners for? I could never allow myself to abandon you." His voice broke at the end, and all of a sudden he felt so very tired. The world spun and he collapsed. Before he hit the ground, Arcee was there cradling him. She was calling his name but everything was getting fuzzy. A large hand carded through his hair and he blearily looked up to see his guardian, her optics shining with fear and worry.

He heard one last thing before slipping into sweet unconsciousness.

"Just hang on, partner. I'll get you out of here." A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Arcee to base! I need a…-roun-….-idge…"

Jackson Darby had never felt happier.


End file.
